Taroona, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Taroona is a major residential suburb approximately 15 minutes drive from the centre of Hobart
, Tasmania
on the scenic route between Hobart and Kingston
. Although on the edges of the City of Hobart, Taroona is actually part of the municipality of Kingborough
.
On the foreshore above Taroona Beach there is the grave of a young sailor, Joseph Batchelor, who died on the Sailing Ship Venus in the Derwent Estuary in 1810, and was buried ashore on 28 January 1810. It is reputed to be the oldest European grave in Tasmania, and it is a declared Historical site.
After WWII, significant subdivision of Taroona was undertaken, and the suburb's population rapidly expanded. Having been developed mainly in the "era of the automobile", Taroona was from the beginning a commuter suburb, and it has a notable absence of commercial or retail premises.
was established on a large parcel of land between the Channel Highway
and the foreshore of the Derwent River about 300 m away. In 1960 the Taroona Primary School re-located to the same site, from an older building further south on the Channel Highway. The original primary school buildings were adapted for kindergarten and pre-school, but were burnt down in 1974. The kindergarten and pre-school was re-built adjacent to the primary school.
Together they now form the Taroona Learning Centre, which caters for grades K-10. The schools share the use of some facilities such as 2 ovals, a gym, and the Learning Centre.
Originally the high school catered for grades 7-11, but with the establishment of the separate Matriculation College system in 1962 the grade 11 students were transferred to the Hobart Matriculation College. At its maximum the enrolments at Taroona High School were about 1200 in the 1960s, with students travelling from Ferntree, South Hobart, Sandy Bay, Battery Point, Kingston, Blackmans Bay, and several centres further south.
There are now approximately 700 students in the high school. The current principal is David Hamlett.
, who attended the river-side Taroona High School
before completing her high schooling at Mount Nelson's
Hobart College
and embarking on her tertiary degree at the University of Tasmania
.
David Bartlett, former Tasmanian premier (2008), was also raised in Taroona.
Gwen Harwood
, poet and librettist, lived in Taroona with her family for a number of years in the nineteen fifties.
. The Shot Tower is a 48 m (157 ft) tall, 10 m (32 ft) in diameter circular sandstone
tower constructed by Joseph Moir
in 1870 from locally quarried sandstone blocks. Lead shot
was made by dropping molten lead through a sieve at the top of the tower and by the time it hit the water at the bottom it was cold and spherical in shape. A climb up 118 steps to the top of the tower gives a wonderful view of the Derwent Estuary.
Reserve, named after the woman cited (with some contention) as the last surviving "full-blooded" Tasmanian aboriginal. A steep track leads from the reserve through forest up the side of Mount Nelson
to the semaphore station at the summit that offers superb views over the Derwent River. The return walk takes around an hour and a half.
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
on the scenic route between Hobart and Kingston
Kingston, Tasmania
Kingston is a township and region on the outskirts of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Nestled 15 km south of the city between and around several hills, Kingston is the council seat of its wider municipality, the Kingborough Council, and today serves as the gateway between Hobart and the...
. Although on the edges of the City of Hobart, Taroona is actually part of the municipality of Kingborough
Kingborough
The Kingborough Council or Municipality of Kingborough is a Local Government Area of Tasmania, just to the south of Hobart, Tasmania.It includes the Hobart satellite town of Kingston and its surrounding suburbs, as well as several surrounding towns including Kettering, Margate, and Snug...
.
Traditional owners
The traditional owners of the lands now known as Taroona were the Aboriginal people of the Derwent estuary. Relatively little is known about the indigenous people's use of these lands, although some shell middens are said to have been found along the shorelines.European settlement
The first European settlement at Taroona took place in the early 19th century, when land was granted to settlers who had relocated from Norfolk Island. For the remainder of that century, the area was largely used for farming, and was sparsely populated. In the first half of the 20th century, more large and elegant residences were built, as well as beach shacks and cottages which were used for seaside holidays by the residents of Hobart.On the foreshore above Taroona Beach there is the grave of a young sailor, Joseph Batchelor, who died on the Sailing Ship Venus in the Derwent Estuary in 1810, and was buried ashore on 28 January 1810. It is reputed to be the oldest European grave in Tasmania, and it is a declared Historical site.
After WWII, significant subdivision of Taroona was undertaken, and the suburb's population rapidly expanded. Having been developed mainly in the "era of the automobile", Taroona was from the beginning a commuter suburb, and it has a notable absence of commercial or retail premises.
Establishment of Taroona High School
In 1958 a public High SchoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
was established on a large parcel of land between the Channel Highway
Channel Highway
The Channel Highway is a regional highway that travels south from Hobart To Huonville, Tasmania, Australia. The Channel Highway starts from the end of Sandy Bay Road and travels south toward Huonville via Taroona, Kingston, Huntingfield, Margate, Kettering, Woodbridge and Cygnet. The shortest way...
and the foreshore of the Derwent River about 300 m away. In 1960 the Taroona Primary School re-located to the same site, from an older building further south on the Channel Highway. The original primary school buildings were adapted for kindergarten and pre-school, but were burnt down in 1974. The kindergarten and pre-school was re-built adjacent to the primary school.
Together they now form the Taroona Learning Centre, which caters for grades K-10. The schools share the use of some facilities such as 2 ovals, a gym, and the Learning Centre.
Originally the high school catered for grades 7-11, but with the establishment of the separate Matriculation College system in 1962 the grade 11 students were transferred to the Hobart Matriculation College. At its maximum the enrolments at Taroona High School were about 1200 in the 1960s, with students travelling from Ferntree, South Hobart, Sandy Bay, Battery Point, Kingston, Blackmans Bay, and several centres further south.
There are now approximately 700 students in the high school. The current principal is David Hamlett.
1967 bushfires
In February 1967, southern Tasmania was engulfed in the most vicious wildfires on record, resulting in many deaths. Taroona was the closest suburb to the city of Hobart to take the full brunt of the fires, which swept across the suburb in the mid afternoon, wreaking havoc, and destroying many homes. Children and residents fled to the river, and many people's survival was due to the refuge the safe waters provided.Notable persons
Taroona was the childhood home of Tasmanian-born Mary, Crown Princess of DenmarkMary, Crown Princess of Denmark
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark...
, who attended the river-side Taroona High School
Taroona High School
Taroona High School is a co-educational state high school located in Taroona, a southern riverside suburb of greater Hobart, the capital of the island state Tasmania. The school has approximately 740 students in grades 7 to 10. In 2003, Taroona High School underwent a major redevelopment...
before completing her high schooling at Mount Nelson's
Mt Nelson, Tasmania
Mount Nelson is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. As its name suggests, it is located upon a mountain. In the strictest sense of the word Mount Nelson is not really a mountain as its highest peak is approximately 350m above sea level. Mount Nelson is located directly above...
Hobart College
Hobart College (Tasmania)
Hobart College was, until January 2009, a senior secondary college located at Mount Nelson, in Hobart, Tasmania.In January 2009 it became the Hobart Campus of the Tasmanian Polytechnic and the Tasmanian Academy, formed as part of the Tasmania Tomorrow reforms.The Hobart Campus now offers courses...
and embarking on her tertiary degree at the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
.
David Bartlett, former Tasmanian premier (2008), was also raised in Taroona.
Gwen Harwood
Gwen Harwood
Gwen Harwood AO , née Gwendoline Nessie Foster, was an Australian poet and librettist. Gwen Harwood is regarded as one of Australia's finest poets, publishing over 420 works, including 386 poems and 13 librettos. She won numerous poetry awards and prizes...
, poet and librettist, lived in Taroona with her family for a number of years in the nineteen fifties.
Shot Tower
Situated on the Channel Highway is one of the State's most historic buildings, the Shot TowerShot tower
thumb|The Shot Tower, Bristol, EnglandA shot tower is a tower designed for the production of shot balls by freefall of molten lead, which is then caught in a water basin. The shot is used for projectiles in firearms.-Process:...
. The Shot Tower is a 48 m (157 ft) tall, 10 m (32 ft) in diameter circular sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
tower constructed by Joseph Moir
Joseph Moir
Joseph Moir was a prominent builder, ironmonger, citizen and shot manufacturer in 19th century Tasmania. He is best known for building the Taroona Shot Tower, but also built St Mark’s Anglican Church, Pontville, issued tokens in his own name during a currency shortage in the colony, and served as...
in 1870 from locally quarried sandstone blocks. Lead shot
Lead shot
Lead shot is a collective term for small balls of lead. These were the original projectiles for muskets and early rifles, but today lead shot is fired primarily from shotguns. It is also used for a variety of other purposes...
was made by dropping molten lead through a sieve at the top of the tower and by the time it hit the water at the bottom it was cold and spherical in shape. A climb up 118 steps to the top of the tower gives a wonderful view of the Derwent Estuary.
Truganini Reserve
Just before reaching Taroona is the TruganiniTruganini
Trugernanner , often referred to as Truganini, was a woman widely considered to be the last "full blood" Palawa ....
Reserve, named after the woman cited (with some contention) as the last surviving "full-blooded" Tasmanian aboriginal. A steep track leads from the reserve through forest up the side of Mount Nelson
Mt Nelson, Tasmania
Mount Nelson is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. As its name suggests, it is located upon a mountain. In the strictest sense of the word Mount Nelson is not really a mountain as its highest peak is approximately 350m above sea level. Mount Nelson is located directly above...
to the semaphore station at the summit that offers superb views over the Derwent River. The return walk takes around an hour and a half.